Govt To Develop New Irrigation Networks, Repair Damaged Ones

Jakarta (Antara Bali) -- The government plans to develop new irrigation networks covering one million hectares of land and to restore damaged ones covering three million hectares.

These projects are in accordance with the Joko Widodo administration's concept of Nawacita, which means nine priority agendas.

"As we all know, there have been ecological changes over the last few decades that have affected the management of the irrigation system," Director General of Water Resources of the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry Mudjiadi said in a statement here on Monday.

The government plans to implement an Integrated Participatory of Development of Irrigation Projects (IPDMIP) for the 2016 to 2019 period.

New and improved irrigation networks are expected to increase the income of farmers.

Moreover, the planned irrigation projects are estimated to cost Rp80 trillion for a five-year period, or Rp16 trillion every year.

To introduce the IPDMIP to the public, the ministry recently held a workshop on its plans to develop irrigation networks.

Earlier this year, President Joko Widodo had expressed hope for Indonesia to reach self-sufficiency in food production in the next four years.

"The more I learn about the conditions of fields in our country, the more I am convinced that within the next four or five years, we will be able to achieve food self-sufficiency, food security and food sovereignty," the president emphasized in his opening speech at the Jakarta Food Security Summit 2015 at the Jakarta Convention Center in February. (WDY)